Interior Design & Decoration for the Central New York region

I need all of your advice! I recently fell in love with a new rug for our dining room, but need all of your expert opinions! With the pattern we already have on the wall, is this too much in the space?

This is the new Saybrook rug from Ballard Designs and I would choose the black/gold on the bottom right side. It’s a beautiful indoor/outdoor rug that would be perfect for high traffic areas in the home. Before I go any further, let me remind you of our dining room and the one stenciled wall, already providing lots of pattern in the space:

Our stenciled wall is on the one wall only, while the rest is the soft gold color. (And our drapery is a subtle stripe, adding a bit more pattern.) But when I saw this rug, it reminded me of an extension of the wall pattern and worked well with the furniture/colors in the space. Before seeing the Ballard rug, I thought I would opt for this neutral jute rug from Pottery Barn:

This is their color bound jute rug in honey. So, I’m torn and need your advice!

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments on yesterday’s post. It truly means a lot to me! The recurring theme in your comments was to follow your heart and do what really feels right. I completely agree and am thankful for that extra boost of confidence. I definitely look forward with what’s to come!

And now back to more design chat! The details and accessories in a space are so important. I know I have discussed this before, but when I see amazing rooms, it’s often the little details that make me take the most notice. Here are some more beautiful rooms where the details count!

I love the eclectic mix of styles in these spaces. Pairing traditional pieces with modern, rustic with contemporary and bohemian with chic all work so well. It makes me want to go shopping around my house and create new vignettes!

I’ll interrupt the normal, everyday pretty inspirations with some things that have been on my mind. (I guess it’s good to keep things real every now and then, right?) When I started this blog, I knew I also wanted to start a career in the design world. I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to go about it, I just knew that this creative, fun and ever- changing path was for me. I love what I have been able to do so far- working with clients and drawing up rooms plans has been the best! I wouldn’t change a thing with that. In the back of my mind, I always knew that I also wanted to take things a step further and expand my business. When contemplating what’s best for you when making career decisions…….. do you ever feel totally lost and confused?

I am a pretty optimistic person and deep down, I know it will all work out. Sometimes, you just need to vent, right? I was about to take this business down another path, thinking I would be expanding in a beneficial way. But then, I took a step back and thought- Is this really what I want to do? Would I even like this if it became successful? Is this the path I want to take? The more I thought about it, I realized it wasn’t for me. So many other people became successful this way, but it doesn’t mean it’s my dream… it’s theirs.

So… it’s back to the drawing board! And that’s not a bad thing, because things don’t have to happen overnight. Sometimes, when you step back and reflect on what’s really for you, the outcome is that much better. I truly believe that when you are doing something you absolutely love, it shows. I do have to say, that this blog and ‘meeting’ all of the inspiring entrepreneurs and strong people has helped to lead me in this direction!

I’m really getting closer to how I would like this business to grow and I’m extremely excited about the future! I’m still stressing about timing, etc., but there is a silver lining! In the coming months, I will go into further detail about my choices, how I’m making it all work and the logistics of it all. For now, I will leave you with this sweet quote my husband sent me:

Aspiring to a small business that does what it does very well is a noble pursuit.

Narenda Rocherolle

I thought that was so sweet to send that out of the blue! And now I am done with my rambling for the day!

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, I can ask- do you ever have days like this too???﻿

The right lighting in a space can take it to the next level. It is that eye catching piece in a room that makes you stop and take notice. One style of lighting that I love is the lantern look. It looks great indoors as well as outdoors, in multiple rooms and with almost any type of design style. Here are some gorgeous inspiration images for your Monday morning, where the lantern style light is the main focus! Enjoy!

I love this look and am strongly considering this style for our master bedroom chandelier. It would replace an exisiting ceiling fan and would take the space to next level! My favorite is the 2nd picture! (And by the way- I think that last kitchen image has solidified my decision to go with darker grout for our kitchen and bathroom, as opposed to white. Love that look! They’re some renovations that are down the road, but still worth thinking about on a daily basis! :))

So do you like this look? Where would you put one???

Looking to decorate your life? Click on the ‘design services’ link at the top of my blog to get started!﻿

How do you like your seating around the dining table? My style in general is eclectic, so I like to mix up seating styles. For a rectangular table, I love the look of flanking the heads of the table with wing back chairs, while keeping the side chairs more simple. In a past e-design project, I proposed that look:

I proposed using the Willoughby Dining chairs from West Elm only on the ends, while keeping the side chairs different and simple. Mixing the seating, while also mixing modern with traditional gives the space a more collected over time look.

If the area permits, I also love the look of a settee or a built in banquette. Our home doesn’t have space for built ins around the table, but I would love to try a settee on one side of the table! The look invites you to linger and chat for hours in a comfortable way! Here are some great seating options for your Monday morning. Enjoy!